I personally had to pay a $2500 deductible that took almost 3 years when my wife broke her wrist.
I work a good job, but don't have $2500 sitting around. Now, my wife was put on two days a week, and lost her insurance, vacation, holiday pay. I put her on my plan, but $140 a week gets us a $5000 deductible. The US is 27'th world wide in health care. France is #1. I don't understand why we don't look at countries that have success, and keep defending being in 27'th place as the right way to go.

We are also 29'th in education. It seems to me that as AI and automation continue to take hold, a lack of education will cripple us.

https://www.thebalance.com/healthcare-costs-3306068

This is what is happening to jobs. What happens when this matures?

https://flipboard.com/@flipboard/flip.it%2FJouBYS-bet-you-didnt-see-this-coming-10-jobs-t/f-22fa871a8d%2Ffastcompany.com

Steve

This post is one that really has me thinking. Future looks pretty bleak.

I wonder how people suppose we survive this oncoming world without a very progressive tax structure and some sort of universal basic income. ;-)

I for one am going to start with some creative re-wording on my resume.

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#resist

pay a little in taxes every week into a socialized system (like Medicare for example) and everyone have coverage.

Medicare was wonderful for my mother in 2014 when she was incarcerated in the hospital for 4 months. Medicare costs her about $200 a month and her supplemental health insurance also costs about $200 a month, but the bottom line was, that 4 months of hell was completely paid for, and no deductibles at all.

I doubt I will have that sort of nice coverage when I'm her age, Trump or no Trump.

Heh.. You are lucky it is not 2016-2017... Nowadays you are out in 5 days, ready or not... unless you absolutely unable to live without life support. A friend of mine's mother was in the hospital a few months ago with pneumonia. On the 5th day, they sent her home. She said she didn't feel well enough. They still forced her to go home. She died that night at home... of pneumonia.

Medicare used to be a lot nicer before the beancounters started running it.

I don't have any idea how my mother's Medicare and supplemental insurance would work for her nowadays, but she was completely covered in 2014. I rescued her from the hospital and got her back in her home as soon as they finally were able to disconnect her trach and feeding tube, but it took 4 months. I think you may be confusing Medicare with Medicaid.

He isn't, but it is 14 days, not 5. However she had supplemental, which might have been paying after medicare automatically stopped on day 14. Of course she could have had a DR. who knew how to do some creative writing and the trach would qualify.

Yes, Gary. You are correct that I know the difference between Medicare (elderly) and Medicaid (poor).

Medicare pays a set fee for a patient-stay, so the shorter the stay the more $$ the hospital makes. Even the ACA's penalties on re-admissions are not enough to overcome this. The hospitals in this area, even the religious ones, have settled on 5 days as a reasonable length of stay for quite a number of conditions, and start doing everything they can do to discharge the patient after this time... The only way around this is if the patient absolutely can not survive at this time... Then, the Texas law kicks in requiring the care, regardless of ability to pay.

The great irony is that there are times you can get better, longer care if you are uninsured and are a total charity case. Medicaid is even better. No co-payments or deductibles.

But regardless of any of this, medical costs in the USA are totally out of control, and short of totally nationalizing the entire industry, there isn't much the Government can do to stop it. Why are they out of control? A near-bottomless supply (or so it was initially thought) of Government tax $$ (medicare, medicaid, etc.) and other forms of 3rd party payment (private insurance). Ceteris paribus, as the supply of money in a market increases, the price of the goods in that market inflates.

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https://youtu.be/iY57ErBkFFE

#Texit

Don't blame me, I voted for Johnson(L) in 2016.

Truth is dangerous... especially when it challenges those in power.

...
But regardless of any of this, medical costs in the USA are totally out of control, and short of totally nationalizing the entire industry, there isn't much the Government can do to stop it.
...

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#resist

...
But regardless of any of this, medical costs in the USA are totally out of control, and short of totally nationalizing the entire industry, there isn't much the Government can do to stop it.
...

If that happens, quality of care will greatly suffer. The Government can't manage its way out of a wet paper bag. The only REAL solution is to get Government totally OUT of health care.

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https://youtu.be/iY57ErBkFFE

#Texit

Don't blame me, I voted for Johnson(L) in 2016.

Truth is dangerous... especially when it challenges those in power.

...
But regardless of any of this, medical costs in the USA are totally out of control, and short of totally nationalizing the entire industry, there isn't much the Government can do to stop it.
...

If that happens, quality of care will greatly suffer. The Government can't manage its way out of a wet paper bag. The only REAL solution is to get Government totally OUT of health care.

Well, I can say that there is not a single example of that working anywhere. The only track record for successful health care is single payer.
Even if under state control, the problem is too big. Suppose state A has a single payer system. I live in state A, then travel to state B for vacation. State B has private insurance. If I get sick or injured, I could stand to lose every dime I have ever had. The same is true for military. It would not make sense for each state to have their own army, navy, air force, nukes. I am a believer in solutions independent of religious/political ideologies. They are traps that prevent solutions from even being explored. Martial Arts is a good example. If a person masters a particular style, the tactics he uses come from within that style. A practitioner of multiple styles can pick apart the one style, and exploit the weaknesses.

If I want to be the best snake handler, I want to learn from the best snake handler. If I want to be the best mechanic, I want to learn from the best. If I want the best health care system, then I want to learn from the country that has the best. The same for education. There are examples of what works, and what does not work. There are things that are best done by country, by state, and by the individual. All have a place, and none should be discarded. If health care can be made to work without a single payer system, then I wouldn't mind a bit, but there are no examples to follow.

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

. If health care can be made to work without a single payer system, then I wouldn't mind a bit, but there are no examples to follow.

Stev, that is a very inconvenient fact in today's political environment.

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. If health care can be made to work without a single payer system, then I wouldn't mind a bit, but there are no examples to follow.

Stev, that is a very inconvenient fact in today's political environment.

Yeah, that's 'commie' talk.

/sarcasm.

:-)

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#resist

And as far as jobs go, this is more significant than globalization.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/amazon-is-going-to-kill-more-american-jobs-than-china-did/ar-AAm1vEp?li=BBnbfcN

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

Well, we're still here.

I'll go ahead and wish the new POTUS the best, and may he *please* have the best of intentions in all he does.

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#resist

Well, we're still here.

I'll go ahead and wish the new POTUS the best, and may he *please* have the best of intentions in all he does.

Best post I have read here in a while.
Our best intentions and his may be waylaid by those who do not wish him the best.
Going to be rough sledding either way, I am sure.

Meow.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Obama's been asking what now? Here's a good suggestion: Security Guard at Mecca :-)

Just saying...

Probably first time a new US President doesn’t use the term “the free world”.
Instead unite “the civilized world”.
Clearly a difference.

Sigh...

Yes, Gary. You are correct that I know the difference between Medicare (elderly) and Medicaid (poor).

Apparently you don't. That should read: Medicare (elderly) and Medicaid (middle class).

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It's sad really that the White House, is now under the control of a mafioso.

Yes and La Famiglia.
It smells nepotism even here across the pond!

Where were the flag waving, cheering crowds and V.I.P.'s?

That would have to be the smallest and quietest P.P. that I've ever seen by a long way.

Cheers.

You can let your RAC dwindle to 0 again, Guy.
Or, "--".

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Capitalize on this good fortune, one word can bring you round ... changes.

I have seen the inaugural speech.
Are the US people still living with the Bible?
"Most importantly is that we will be protected by god." Trump said.
Well. God Bless America...

Geeze...

Speaking of the US and Russia.
They have a lot in common.
Hehe:)
Боже, благослови Россию

Where were the flag waving, cheering crowds and V.I.P.'s?

That would have to be the smallest and quietest P.P. that I've ever seen by a long way.

2009 on top, 2017 on bottom, not much hope in America today

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